Reunion
by Lady Hitomi Fanel
Summary: "Elena please. I don't deserve yo-" She pushed a finger to his lips,"I told you Stefan…"She spoke quietly, "you're out of excuses." Reconciliation between the lovers. Written because I was deeply missing them! Read,enjoy and please review!


My take on a season 3 reunion between the True lovers on Vampire Diaries. Sorry you Delena shippers! But this really is the true romance of the show.

Last night's episode (3x17) really made me super duper miss Stelena more than I already do, so I wanted to write a scene when they get back together… I've based it between 3x17 and 3x18. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything (characters, place names, plot ect.)

**Chapter 1: Out of Excuses**

Stefan pulled into the driveway. Why was he always coming back here he wandered to himself. It was crushing him that he had to see her every day. The embarrassment, the guilt and regret of all the promises he'd broken.

_'I love you Elena.' _

Liar. He had to be a liar. He wouldn't have what he did to her if he really loved her. She truly was better off without him.

But he? He felt weightless without her. Like there was no gravity. Like each day was just another bunch of minutes and hours. The day and night no longer had meaning. No more school, or lunch dates, evening strolls and midnight talks. No waking up and feeling the warmth of her back against his chest and moving closer to kiss her good morning. Elena had given a sense of meaning and time to his existence, and he had thrown her away. Trying to shake the thoughts, he grabbed the bunch of books on her family's history that she'd asked for. As he locked up the car he could hear the front door open, and Elena stood there, tall and slim, elegant even in her jeans and sweater.

"The books you wanted!" Holding them up as he walked up the steps of the porch, Stefan started at her. She looked tired. The originals caused enough problems, but the trouble with Alaric had worn her down even more. Stefan knew Alaric meant a lot to her, and he too was grateful that there was someone in the house who watched over her.

"Thanks." She took the books off him and flicked through the top one, her eyes darting up to look at him quickly once, before se closed them. Stefan predicted an uncomfortable silence.

"So has Alaric gone to Loft?"

"Yeah, Damon went with him. Meridith's still in hospital… she lost a lot of blood but it looks like she'll pull through… thanks to you." Elena stepped back and put the books on the table by the door. She turned back to face him, "Thank you Stefan. Meridith means a lot to Alaric. The guilt if she'd died… it would've killed him." She watched him carefully as he stood, hands in his pockets and shoulder hunched up, "I'm guessing with what you've been going through lately, that it was difficult to do what you did for her. So I'm really grateful."

Stefan looked into her eyes, her beautiful deep eyes. _Stay away Stefan!_ "If that's everything then I guess I'll be going now." He turned on his heels and walked away.

Elena stood and stared. "Ok then… see you around." He was just walking away again. No hesitation to leave her. She could no longer control it, she had to speak out again. She had keep trying to get him back. He was the love of her existence, how could she just let him leave without trying. She owed it to what they had been to try.

"Stefan?" She called after him and walked down the steps of the porch, her hands wrapped around herself, as though she was holding herself together.

"Yes?" He asked still walking away, slightly surprised she'd called. Her footsteps sounded loud and fast.

"Am I an idiot for waiting for you? I mean, we've been through so much… it has to mean something right? Do you think you 'll ever want to come back to me?"

"Why are you even bother-." He turned around to face her and stopped still.

She was crying.

'_No please. Please I've made you cry so much, please, please stop!' _Despite screaming at his self he remained perfectly still. She continued,

"Even if I wanted to move on, how could I? This situation that we're in makes it impossible! I had no normal life to get back to after you broke my heart, and every day I wish… I just _wish_ that I still had you. Because this mess!- The originals, Alaric, everything- we'd be going through it together! Like how we used to! Now I lie in my bed every night alone and wondering if the next time someone tries to kill me they'll be successful! You used to be my protector, my partner! You listened to me. You cared about me!" Stefan remained still, watching her shout and clutch her own body tighter until she was crying so hard that she buckled under her own weight and dropped to her knees, sobbing so hard her shoulders were shaking, "You used to _love_ me."

Stefan felt the glass wall he'd placed around his mind and heart shatter.

There she was, on her knees before him, crying so hard and so weak. He couldn't do this anymore. He could no longer hold his selfishness in. She was better without him, she and her heart were safer without him. But he could not stay away anymore. He would ruin her life, surely, but the love he felt for her was too strong… It not better to die trying in love than kill each other by separation? Why had it taken him so long to come to that conclusion? It was wrong to love her, but even worse to think he could save her by leaving. The connection they had was not just some high school fancy. The moment he had laid eyes on her, he'd felt the pull of their souls towards each other.

Losing all control and rushing forward, all his words tumbled out in a rush. "Elena please! Please get off the floor. Please don't kneel in front of me, don't. I should lie down, with my face in the mud begging for your forgiveness so please! Please get up!" He forced her hands away from her sides and held onto them. "Please don't ever throw yourself like that in front of me! You are worthy of all the love that man has ever given, and I?-" He stared at her wild eyed, tears streaming down his face, "I'm not even worthy of the dirt I'm stood in."

Elena stared wide eyed at him. What was he doing? Was this Stefan… coming back to her? Was he her Stefan again? Keeling before her, holding her hands and crying. Had she changed his mind at last? Her hands started to twist and she began to lace them through his fingers when she suddenly stopped. Eyes even wider, she jumped away from him and fell back onto the floor, crawling backwards away from him causing him to flinch.

"Wh-why are you doing this Stefan? Don't hold me that close if you're just feeling guilty," He was shaking his head in disbelief as she spoke, but she carried on, still sobbing. " because I can't have you hold me again ever if you'll leave again. I won't be able to cope. Don't make me feel like we're so close if you're not-"

"Elena!" He rushed forward, scopping her upwards and standing her up. Cupping her face he moved in close enough to smell the salt in her tears, the lavender shampoo and fragrance of wild violets and white woods. "Elena…. I have tried… so hard to do what was best for you. I convinced myself so much that I became blind. And even when I saw the light, and realised what I was doing to you, I still made excuses. I told myself that I had lost you. I had thrown you away. You wold never love me again, and I loved you too much to risk being rejected by you! It would have killed me! If I had though for one second that you could _truly_ forgive for everything that has happened, I would have come sooner to you… crawling on my hands and knees, _begging_ for forgivness." Overwhelmed, Stefan slid down onto his knees and held onto her hips, he started up at her pleading. "You're asking for me back, but you are asking for someone who trampled on your heart! Why…?" He sobbed and pressed his face into her abdomen, "Why would you give a wretched monster like me another chance? Why do you even want my love? You are so much more…"

"Stefan.." Her voice was hoarse from crying and wiggled out of his grip and knelt down in front of him, cupping his face now, "Look at me… Stefan look!" He forced his face to focus on her eyes. He looked

"Look what I've done to you…" He whispered, "I can see all the pain I've caused in your eyes. I've killed that glimmer they used to have…"

"Do you love me Stefan?" She asked, tears still flowing, but her voice was stronger now.

"I never stopped loving you Elena. You touched me so deeply, you embedded yourself into my soul. But I hurt you…"

"Stefan, do… you…love me? Now? In this very moment?" She was breathing deeply, controlling her tears now and moving closer to his face.

"Yes… more than I'll ever be able to say."

"Then that is why I can forgive you Stefan. Because of _love_. _Our_ love!"

"I betrayed you though. I swore that I loved you and that I would never hurt you!"

"I hurt you." She almost shouted it back at him, " I hurt you when I was cold to you, I hurt you when I was spiteful! I hurt you when I kissed Damon!_ I_ turned my back on you! I used to tell myself too that hurting you was unimaginable, but I did it too!"

"Elena, none of that compares to-"

"This is _not_ a competition Stefan! This is life. This is love and this is us getting a shot at a second chance. I _can_ forgive you, so you're out of excuses. Just… let me back in." Stroking his face and hair, she looked at him desperately, begging to be part of her world again. This beautiful, perfect woman wanted him back. Despite everything. Stefan watched her carefully,

"If you let me do this, I won't be able to let go. _Ever_." His voice was now serious, but still unsteady.

"I don't want you to let go again." She pulled him closer,

"Please tell me this is real Elena…"

"This is real, Stefan." She reached around and pulled his arms tighter around her, keeping her eyes focused on him.

"Elena please. I don't deserve yo-" She pushed a finger to his lips,

"I told you Stefan…"She spoke quietly, "you're out of excuses." Moving her finger away, she wrapped her arms around his neck. He felt her fingers brush across his skin and felt as though the heat of life was spreading through every nerve in his body. Warming him with her radiance. A feeling he'd forgotten. He could feel himself moving closer. It was already too late now. It had been to late from the moment she's dropped to ground crying. This was over now. She was never going to slip through his hands again. Elena Gilbert was his.

Their lips were so close, he could taste her breath. Closing his eyes, he enjoyed her flavour, and listened to the racing of her heart. It pleased him so much. "Tell me something."

"I love you, Stefan Salvatore. I never stopped and I never will. And I want you to kiss me and prove that I'm not an idiot for waiting. That we made it through." That was enough.

Stefan closed the gap between them and tasted the sweet salvation of her lips. She crushed her mouth closer to his, and he deepened the kiss as she commanded. Rubbing her hands through his hair, she pushed herself into his body. Wanting to be even closer, Stefan grabbed a hold of her bottom and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He kissed her furiously, moving from her lips, to her cheeks and neck and back to her lips.

Elena felt her own tears mixing with his. Tears of joy for the reunion. Tears of sadness for struggle they had been through. Breaking away to catch her breath, she pushed her forehead against his. He was breathing deeply and she looked at him as she realised he was trying to catch his breath to say something.

"I…." He crushed her body even closer to himself, "I feel alive again. I've missed you. Every second of the day! I never thought I could feel this way again."

"_Shhh" _She stroked his face and hair, trying to soothe him, "It's ok, it's ok. We never have to feel that way again. We made it… we made it through Stefan." She smiled at him, radiantly and he felt like a blind man seeing for the first time.

Pushing his lips back to her, they kissed softly and sweetly. He moved his lips the top of her mouth and she pulled and softly pressed his lower mouth. Without any more words exchanged, Stefan, still cradling his love in his arms, walked back into the house and shut the door.

Let me know what you think… haven't decided whether this will be a one-shot or if there'll be like 2 more chapters or something. Review and I'll decide! Ta ra! :D


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